France, March 7 -- Anger is mounting on the Indian Ocean island nation of Comoros over the rising cost of living and the price of staple goods as Ramadan gets underway. The country is also in the midst of anenergy and water crisis, which the government has promised to tackle.

At the end of February, the Comoros government announced a series of measures to counter the surge in prices ahead of the month-long Muslim fasting period of Ramadan, which this year falls in March. The population is 98 percent Sunni Muslim.

These measures included tax breaks, a guarantee fund of 6 billion Comorian francs to secure the import of basic necessities, and reinforcing the electricity supply.

The authorities also assured residents that these adjustments...