The present article reviews part of a research paper on regional differences in evaluating economic growth and the various aspects that influence it. In this publication, the relationship between changes in corruption level and economic growth is analyzed, paying close regard to all countries of the world and taking Europe separately as a region with relatively consistent economic and social development levels. The author analyzes the average values and changes in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita based on purchasing-power-parity valuation (in US dollars) for 1998 – 2005 and the corruption perception index (CPI) of 1998 – 2007. When looking at data from all countries of the world and European countries, no interrelation can be observed between changes in CPI and GDP per capita. These values fluctuate independently of each other. The obtained results give rise to doubt whether CPI is a suitable indicator for determining the corruption level. The author concludes that assertions of negative (or positive) influence that corruption is said to have on GDP increase should be taken very critically.

Health care has an important role in regional economic and politic development because human life and health is the only criterion and prerequisite for any other value. If for any reason human loses more than 20% of his blood, he is not able to join in economic actions and is under a risk of dying. That is why economic development loses human resources. In case of losing blood, human life can be saved only by donor blood, since synthetic blood replacements have not been discovered yet. In this paper, historical development of blood donor movement as an aspect of economic development has been researched. Experiments, failures and scientific discoveries in blood transmission history have also influenced world economic history. Based on historical literature in Latvia and eye witness stories, historical development of blood donor movement in Latvia as well as its role in health care as a part of economics is studied in this paper.

Currently public services become more and more significant in procurement of daily activities of each inhabitant and the entire society. Therefore optimal solutions of the regulatory issues are the topic of the day. Objective of the article is to analyse regulatory systems of the provision of water and waste water utilities in Latvia and in other countries, to draw conclusions derived from the analyses and put forward suggestions for the choice of the most appropriate regulatory system in the local governments of Latvia. The hypotheses advanced in the study have proved that each country may use its own discretion when selecting the regulatory system for water and waste water utilities.