Features
Jetwing Travels and Herbert Cooray’s business philosophy in good times and bad
(Excerpted from The Jetwing Story and the Life of Herbert Cooray by Shiromal Cooray)
The legacy of Herbert Cooray shines just as brightly at Jetwing Travels, the agency he created and renamed at the behest of a German business associate. Commencing operation on April 29, 1981, at an office located in Negombo, Jetwing Travels has grown its client base a hundredfold, from 500 in 1983 to over 50,000 by 2010. No longer does it restrict its operations to the German or Scandinavian markets. Today, its customers are worldwide.
Broadening the client base was no easy task. Jetwing Travels’ teams traveled the world – from Poland and Serbia to Malaysia and Thailand, from India and Israel to China, Korea and Taiwan, from Russia and Kazakhstan, to Iran and Israel promoting Sri Lanka as one of the world’s most rewarding holiday destinations.
Trained to swim against the tide, to stay positive in the face of resistance and even rejection they would follow every business lead no matter how inconsequential, venturing into markets conventional wisdom judged hopeless, building a worldwide client base, one agency and tour operator at a time.
The firm’s 30 and more years of operation span the whole of Sri Lanka tourism’s fallow period.
At times, revenues were negligible; still, never during all that time was a single employee made redundant. While industry shrank with every blow to security – the JVP threats of the late eighties, the Bandaranike International Airport and Central Bank bombings, the tsunami in 2004, Jetwing Travels held onto its people whom Herbert, long before the phrase became a management cliche, called the firm’s greatest asset.
“It is people who go out and capture business, who accompany and guide our clients and make their experience memorable, who handle all the logistics” he would say. “What would we have if we got rid of them? We would end up being a shell company”. He was strongly conscious of the investment in training, the effort to inculcate the Jetwing way of doing things in every employee. He did not want to have to write off such an important investment, nor did he wish to put it at the disposal of his competitors.
When times grew hard, Jetwing Travels’ management would call a general staff meeting to explain the situation and describe measures the firm needed to take in order to survive. “We didn’t make a single one of our associates redundant, nor did we ask them to take any pay cuts the way some others did,” remembers one of the directors.
After all, they had their own commitments, young families and so on. But we did explain the situation…. I still remember the look of fear in some of my colleagues’ eyes as unpleasant facts were listed. But there was no point painting a false rosy picture – any more than there was in exaggerating the problems.”
To stay viable, the company embarked on an efficiency regime, finding ways to eliminate waste and unnecessary expenditure of time or money. As the amount of work to be done declined, operating costs could be saved by reducing working hours (Saturday became a full day off). In the end, Jetwing Travels was able to continue posting a profit, albeit modest, year after year.
Things did not always look so bleak, however. There were times, especially during the late 1990s and the Peace Accord period, when tourism, both internal and foreign, would begin to revive, only to suffer another setback, just as those in the business were beginning to breathe more easily.
In 1993, having qualified as an accountant and made a successful career for herself in the advertising industry, Herbert’s daughter Shiromal joined Jetwing Travels as Managing Director. By 1995, the firm had left Negombo for spacious new offices in Colombo. The ensuing period had been an excellent test of its mettle and that of its people. Both came through with flying colours, and the experience cemented bonds of association and loyalty that have stood Jetwing Travels in good stead ever since.
In 1996, Raju Arasaratnam joined Jetwing Travels as an Executive Director and helped expand the company to be a force to reckon with in the industry.
The Jetwing Group, created and built up by Herbert Cooray, continues to reflect his values, his business philosophy and the life lessons he learned and applied to his dealings with others. These values passion, humility, tenacity and integrity – lie at the heart of everything Jetwing does.
Herbert Cooray never set out to do anything he did not feel passionately about. If he chose to support a cause, he would throw himself fully into it, dedicating himself to it with commitment and loyalty.
He loathed ostentation of any kind, dressing as simply and informally as possible, eschewing status symbols and advertisements of wealth.
Pragmatic and not selfconscious, he would never turn away when someone was in trouble and needed help. Valuing people and human relationships highly, he was courteous and punctual. A Jetwing associate who missed an appointment or kept a client/supplier waiting was certain to earn a rebuke from Herbert. Hospitality, like humility, was in his blood.
His integrity was legendary. He dealt honourably with friend or foe alike, and associates, whether suppliers, partners or competitors, never had cause for a complaint. He believed in remunerating his associates equitably, ensuring his suppliers got fair prices and were paid on time, and giving his customers a fair deal – and whenever possible, a little bit on top.
The example and values of Herbert Cooray still guide all the actions and decisions of the Jetwing Group. They are, in a sense, family values, which is why the group often refers to itself as the ‘Jetwing family of companies. Jetwing people – engaged, so to speak, on family business, truly put their hearts into what they are doing. Empathy, appreciation and mutual care are part of their interactions with suppliers, clients and all others.
The champion of human values and equality also believed in choosing the right people. “You can’t teach someone to smile” he said. “You can’t teach someone to want to serve others well, you can’t teach personality, you can’t teach a person to be passionate about what they are doing. But you can find people with those qualities and teach them what to do”.
He never shrank from hiring young, inexperienced people, provided they had the right attitude. Formal qualifications were rarely an issue. He was a fine judge of character, and he trusted his own judgment.
Following his example, Jetwing always puts customers first; even company directors have to wait their turn.
“I remember a rather embarrassing experience some years ago” recalled one of the directors. “We were negotiating the management contract for a hotel owned by another business group, so Mr. Cooray and some of the other directors drove down there to have a look at the place. The chairman of that group and his family were there to meet us. We were almost swamped with hospitality – it seemed as if the entire staff had been ordered to look after us. The other hotel guests were visibly neglected. It was most uncomfortable, because clearly they would have resented it”.
Such a thing, he went on to explain, would never happen at Jetwing. Jetwing reserves no special room or facilities for the use of directors or the Chairman. Friends and associates of the directors cannot expect special treatment when it comes to reservations if a hotel is full. Even at the company head offices, there are no special washrooms or dining-rooms for senior management or directors. Only guests and customers get special treatment at Jetwing. All associates are treated alike.
Having entered the field in which he would make his name through what was, essentially, a series of happy accidents, the founder of Jetwing understood the importance of being able to recognize and respond swiftly to opportunity, no matter how unlikely or unpropitious the circumstances under which it might arise. Sensitive to the currents of history, he would explain to his team that Sri Lanka and the world were experiencing a period of intense millennial change, a time during which long-term plans and forecasts were unusually likely to be invalidated by unexpected developments.
He believed the best way to prosper in such times was to be as fully informed as possible. He was fond of quoting something he had once read: “In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future; the learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists”. He was always ready to learn and absorb change.
He encouraged his son Hiran, his successor as Chairman of Jetwing, to accompany the firm’s managers on frequent working visits to famous hotels overseas, where they could assess the guest experience first-hand, as they learnt the inner workings of the industry. He encouraged his managers to keep an eye out for new ideas and innovations, not simply with a view to adopting them for Jetwing, but also to spot customer and industry trends and understand better the changing nature of the hospitality business.
He also understood that the industry could not continue to depend on traffic from Western Europe to fill its hotels, plane seats and tour buses; long before most others realized it, Herbert had seen that future lay in growing Asian markets like China and India.
Not all opportunities, though, were equally worth pursuing. Unlike many self-made men, Herbert Cooray did not delude himself into an exaggerated estimate of his own abilities. He was never one to bite off more than he could chew, especially in terms of financial commitment. He did not believe in plunging the company into debt to finance some over-ambitious project; he always made sure the gearing was comfortable and manageable.
This policy of minimizing financial risk may have curbed expansion during industry boom times, but it was the lightness of the group’s debt burden that enabled Jetwing to keep going and keep all of its people – through the long years of industry depression. Slower growth never bothered Herbert Cooray: what he wanted to be was not the biggest, but the best.
A former chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board, Mr. H. M. S. Samaranayake in his memoir – A Lifetime in Tourism- had this to say of Herbert; “Herbert Cooray could be identified as the single individual who had made the largest contribution to the development of tourism in Sri Lanka” (Page 142).
He certainly transformed Negombo, from being a sleepy, remote fishing village to a bustling, clean, popular and organized tourism hub. He braved naysayers and had confidence in his convictions that Galle will be another tourism hub and pioneered leisure sector investments there. He created a team of committed passionate people who continue to follow and develop the Jetwing way and that has helped Jetwing to be a respected brand in Sri Lanka tourism industry.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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