Smartmatic to donate paper for vote receipts

Poll technology provider Smartmatic is offering to donate to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) 1.1 million rolls of thermal paper to be used as voter receipts.

Speaking at a forum in Manila, Smartmatic spokesperson Karen Jimeno, said the donation would ensure there will be no delay in the procurement of thermal paper.

“Smartmatic has internally decided to donate 1.1 million rolls of thermal paper. That would meet all the requirements for the issuance of the voter receipts and that would also address the problems of the very burdensome requirements of the government procurement act,” said Jimeno.

“This is to ensure that there are thermal paper that are of high quality and meets the standards required of the vote-counting machines,” she added, stressing that the paper will be given for free.

Still to consider

But Comelec Chair Andres Bautista said they were still studying whether or not accepting the Smartmatic offer is proper.

“There were certain members who wanted to find out if this was proper. We’re asking our law department to study the matter although what is interesting about this is that it is free given the challenges of time that we are facing,” Bautista told the same forum.

But Jimeno said the donation would be legal as there will be no conflict of interest in the case.

“In fact here the technical service provider will be incurring an expense in order to make the donation,” Jimeno said, adding that Smartmatic has already ordered the thermal paper.

Following the Supreme Court’s order to print voter receipts, several lawmakers earlier expressed concern that the Comelec might not be able to buy the thermal paper in time for the elections as the poll body still has to go through the regular bidding process as mandated by law.

Lost bid

Smartmatic earlier participated in the bidding but lost to local manufacturing company Forms International Enterprises Corp., which submitted the lowest calculated bid.

Forms International Enterprises Corp., based in Quezon City, submitted a bid of P49.5 million, way below the Comelec’s P85.8-million budget for the project.

The local firm beat out Smartmatic-TIM, the supplier of the vote-counting machines that will use the thermal paper, which entered a bid of P83.6 million.

Forms International will now go through a post-qualification assessment. If the company passes the check and is issued a notice to proceed, the firm would be required to complete delivery of all 1.1-million thermal rolls by April 29.