COLOMBO – Global credit ratings agency Moody’s on Monday warned that Sri Lanka’s new law to nationalise “under utilised” private firms was a blow to attracting foreign investment into the island.

The government on Friday signed into law a controversial bill that allows the nationalisation of companies that had received state land or tax breaks in the past 20 years. It has earmarked 37 firms for takeover.

“The measure may undermine the predictability of future policies and increase investor uncertainty, which would make it credit negative for Sri Lanka,” Moody’s said in a statement.

It said the government’s “seizure of assets creates ambiguity around the protection of private property” and warned that investor confidence was key to wooing much needed foreign capital.

Sri Lanka has been trying to attract investment since security forces defeated Tamil rebels in May 2009 and declared an end to nearly four decades of ethnic bloodshed which had claimed up to 100,000 lives and dented the economy.

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