High-tech car inspection program gears up for 2000
Beginning January 3, 2000 all Rhode Island motorists will be required to participate in the high-tech battle to clean the air we breathe as the Rhode Island Emission and Safety Testing Program gets under way. With the new program all vehicles under 8,500 pounds will be tested every other year, using a high tech analytical system involving the use of state of the art computer technology and a “dynamometer,” that allows a vehicle to be tested under simulated road conditions while never leaving the shop.
The first year, vehicles with even VIN numbers will take the test at a cost of $47. In the second year those vehicles with an odd VIN number will receive a modified test, be given a one-year sticker and pay $23.50. If a vehicle fails the test, it will be given one free re-test at the same station as the initial test.
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During the first year if a motorists fail to obtain a valid test or waiver, their registration will be suspended, until they meet the requirements. In subsequent years, registration will be denied to any motorist or vehicle that fails to obtain a valid inspection.
The program, mandated by the Federal Clean Air Act of 1990, is designed to find gross polluters and get those vehicles repaired in an effort to reduce the amount of air pollution.
There will be at least one emissions and safety test program station in each of the state’s 39 cities and towns.
Work/life balance more critical than five years ago
Work/life balance issues play a more important role than ever in keeping top information technology (IT) talent, according to a new survey. Eighty-eight percent of US chief information officers polled said that offering programs that meet their employees’ needs is more important that it was five years ago. Flexible hours and personal days led the list of benefits offered.
The survey, developed by RHI Consulting and conducted by an independent research firm, includes responses from 1,400 CIOs from a random sample of US companies with more than 100 employees.
Gregg Scileppi, executive director of RHI counseling said that while flexible hours, paid time off, telecommuting and part-time work have all become “mainstream” work/life programs, job sharing has seen a notable increase in popularity among employers, as indicated by more than one-quarter of respondents surveyed.
Bryant to host seminar series on E-Commerce
The Rhode Island Export Assistance Center (RIEAC) will be holding a videoconferencing series at Bryant College beginning September 29.
The forums will feature national experts, interactive educational seminars, and roundtable discussions that focus on competing in the global marketplace. Through Bryant’s multi-point videoconferencing facilities, program attendees can profit from the experiences of business leaders around the world.
The first of the series, “Internet and Global Commerce,” will be held September 29 from 10:30 a.m. to noon on the Bryant College campus. The program will focus on how electronic media is affecting the movement of goods and services worldwide and how business relationships are influenced by the latest communication technologies.
The program is presented in collaboration with the US Small Business Administration, United Parcel Service, US Department of Commerce, and the Rhode Island Export Assistance Center at Bryant College.
Other videoconferencing scheduled for this series are: Big Emerging Markets-ASEAN Region, Oct. 13; Letter of Credit and Freight Logistics, Nov. 3; International Trade Missions, Dec. 8; and International Business Plans, Jan.27.
The cost of each program is $25 and pre-registration is required. For information or to register, please call the RI Export Assistance Center at 401-232-6407.
U.S. worried about Swiss accounts on the Internet
Some U.S. regulators are concerned about plans by MFC Merchant Bank, based in Geneva, Switzerland, to allow people everywhere to open accounts over the Internet with starting deposits as low as $5,000.
US citizens who are legally allowed to have accounts in foreign banks, are required to report such accounts to the Internal Revenue Service. U.S. regulators acknowledged, however, that it is difficult for the government to discover such accounts themselves.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has blocked MFC Merchant Bank’s plan to let U.S. citizens do securities trading through online accounts with the bank.
SEC spokesman Christopher Ullman said the bank must register as a broker with the market watchdog agency before it can sell securities to U.S.
Technology streamlines unemployment payments
To help streamline the appeal process surrounding unemployment compensation and temporary disability insurance appeals, the Rhode Island Department Of Labor Board of Review has created a web site that provides important information about past cases and protocol.
The web site, http://www.dlt.state.ri.us/bor., also provides on-line appeals, and references to RI General law, said Thomas J. Daniels, chairman of the Board of Review. The site can be accessed from the Labor and Training’s homepage and from other statewide web sites.
