Poll automation supplier Smartmatic-TIM Wednesday assured the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that it will complete the delivery of the 82,200 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines for use in the May 2010 elections before the February 21 deadline.

“Our target is we will deliver all the 82,000 machines one week ahead of schedule,” Juan Villa, President and CEO of Smartmatic-TIM, said in a press briefing.

Starting next week, he said, they will be delivering 9,600 PCOS to the country on a weekly basis.

“We will be delivering at the rate of 9,600 PCOS units every week until the end of February,” he said.

The Comelec together with Smartmatic-TIM presented to the media yesterday the first batch of 4,000 PCOS units which arrived last Monday. It was followed yesterday by another 3,200 PCOS from the production plant in China.

Comelec Chairman Jose Melo, for his part, admitted being more appeased now with the delivery of the 7,200 PCOS machines.

“Our level of confidence has gone up. I’ve been telling the Smartmatic officials I have to see the machines before they get paid,” he said.

Melo said that the PCOS will all be stored in a warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna.

“These will be tested and then after that they will be sent out to the 40 regional hubs so that they will be nearer the precincts,” he said.