for example bolivias mean consumer expenditure per capita in usd ppp per month was quite similar to that of egypts in usd ppp per month yet the bolivian national poverty line usd ppp per month was nearly three times as large as the egyptian national line at usd ppp per month similarly mean consumer expenditure per capita in russia in usd ppp per month was close to that of poland in usd ppp per month but the national poverty line in russia was only usd ppp per month versus usd ppp per month in poland for the respective time periods the possible political economy determinants of how poverty lines are set call for a warning against the use of programme eligibility lines as poverty lines such as the eligibility criteria for social assistance or cash transfers indeed if poverty lines or their evolution depend on executive rather than technical decisions perverse effects can result