In accordance with Decree 2649 of 1993, the General Purpose Financial Statements are those prepared after the closing of a specific period, to be known by undetermined users; their main purpose is to provide the option for the public to assess the capacity of an economic entity to generate a positive flow of funds (Article 21). They are comprised by the following Basic Financial Statements:
• General Balance Sheet.
• Profits and loss statement.
• Statement of Changes in Equity.
• Statement of Changes in Financial Position.
• Cash Flow Statement.
Said financial statements must included their corresponding notes and a certificate signed by the legal representative and the statutory auditor and/or certified public accountant, under whose responsibility they were prepared. The certification includes a statement according to which "the statements and representations contained therein have been verified, and they have been taken faithfully from the company's ledgers". In order to make the financial statements more public, Article 41 of Law 222 of 1995 requires that they be deposited within one month following their approval.