ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF INFORMATION TRANSPARENCY OF BANKS

The purpose of the study is to develop a methodology for assessing the level of transparency of banks through the analysis of their web resources, the application of which allows us to conclude the openness of banks, their readiness to interact with their customers, partners, regulatory bodies, the public, and other stakeholders. Based on bibliometric analysis and analysis of banks' websites, those indicators most often found on websites were singled out so they can be compared in a comparative analysis. These comparative indicators were grouped into five groups: 1) "Active transparency and information about the bank"; 2) "Information about relations with the public, users or interested parties, including mechanisms of interaction and cooperation with them"; 3) "Economic and financial transparency"; 4) "Right to access to information"; 5) "Prevention of corruption and compliance with the requirements of transparency and good management." The work used the point evaluation method of indicators, based on which a methodology was developed for evaluating the level of transparency of bank websites, which includes 45 criteria for the level of transparency of their websites. The test results showed that the method can be successfully used to assess the transparency level of their web resources. This methodology for evaluating the level of transparency of bank websites will be a useful tool for both internal and external stakeholders. For banks, it can become an additional motivational tool for improving the quality and availability of information on their web resources, and for consumers (clients, counterparties, investors, regulatory bodies, auditors, etc.)-a source of convenient and understandable information about the activities of banks and their products. In general, the conducted research helps to ensure greater transparency and trust between banks and their stake-holders, which, in turn, will contribute to the development of the modern economy.