THE ROLE OF AUDIT AND CREDIT RATING AGENCIES IN THE ASSESSMENT OF COMPANY CREDITWORTHINESS WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON BANKS

Audit and credit rating agencies have a significant responsibility in assessing company creditworthiness and giving opinions on the client’s ability to continue business in the future, most often the next fiscal year. Responsibility is even greater when it comes to banks and their creditworthiness. The financial crisis of 2007 and the bankruptcy of a number of banks and other financial institutions imposed a need to seek accountability for the “delayed” reaction of regulatory bodies and significant fiscal consequences of the crisis. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the efficiency of credit rating agencies and external audit in assessing the creditworthiness of companies and banks, not for the purpose of finding their individual responsibilities, but to look at possible coordinated and joint actions to prevent future crisis events