How do we define what Progress for a better society is?

The first question is: "How should we define progress?"
My opinion is that the whole world evolve, and each step is given by the behaviour of the people involved. This means that I cannot define exactly what "progress" is because the definition is changing by time. If I may express my view of what progress is, I do well knowing that it is bound to my personal experience and life: I think that there is progress if we move toward a society in which the basic needs are satisfied (house, food) and in which people can develop their skill and try to improve the quality of life for everybody. People should be proud and feel satisfied if they can contribute to the wellness of the whole society. Example: if you find a way to produce kiwis using less water, then you should feel proud and be awarded. And I would like to add an example about "cheating" in general and especially in our economic system.
May be I choose the wrong word. In fact I wanted to say that people who just take advantage of the economical system for the their own advantage even if this provoques damages to other people, are ethically to condemn. Here the example of something which is not illegal (!): if you use a computer program to buy a huge amount of foreign currencies this will let the rate of exchange soaring, and then 30 seconds later you sell everything making a big profit without any economical real plus-value, then you are misusing the system for your own advantage without producing any real value. You basically "created" money from nothing and for you only.
One possible solution to this kind of (let me call it so) "cheating " would be to introduce a mini-tax for every money-transfer."mini" means that it is very low, and does'nt have any practical impact to the "usual" amounts transferred. But it will have an impact on huge amounts transferred. And of course we will need AI and computer's networks to check for "smart" people who will try to cheat. This would reduce speculations which are not else that a game without any real economical plus-values.
But there are many others examples of misuse of the system: look for instance at the exploitation of the mines in some less-developed countries. Because of the corrupt government, there is no strict regulation about the protection of the workers there and for the environment. Look at the copper mines, or those for lithium, and so on.
The greed is one of the roots of our problems. Our society is full of false incentive all directed to the advantage of the single person or business.
One more example: when you go to the dentist, he/she will check the health of your teeth, and will tell you if there is anything to be done. Usually our dentists are honest workers, but it is in the system, that he is the one who decide what he will do, thus he/she is not completely free of some bias.
Similar biases exists when doctors prescribe a medication which he/she sell to you. Is this the right one for you or is just the one which is best between those that he/she has in his/her safe? Please, don't think that I want to say that our doctors are dishonest. I just needed an example to show where the "wrong incentive" can exists.
But you understand that I cannot continue on this topic without filling pages and pages ...