Having knowledge of the structural fiscal balance is important to the formulation and analysis of the fiscal policy.In this paper we propose a methodology, based on the IMF's standard procedure, to determine the structural fiscal balance of the Colombian Central Government.This methodology is build up from the calculation of the total and primary structural balance, and their corresponding cyclical components, for the period 1980-2002.We use different econometric techniques to estimate the relevant parameters derived from the procedure.The results indicate that the government structural balance was above the observed one at the beginning of the eighties and nineties.That is, the government had a lower deficit (or higher surplus) than the observed one and the difference went from 0.1% to 0.4% of the GDP.This difference was due to cyclical movements of the GDP and/or oil price deviations above its long-run trend and/or because lower regional transfers.On the contrary, for the rest of the period the government structural balance was below the observed one and the difference went from 0.2% to 0.4% of the GDP.The magnitude of the differences implies that the fiscal balance of the Colombian central government is basically structural in nature.Accordingly, what is needed to adjust the government finances is not only that country reaches its potential growth rate but also to make much more efforts in rising revenues and cutting expenditures.