Empowering of Small Businesses in Community Development in Merauke, South Papua Crocodile’s Leather Craftsman

. This study discusses the empowerment of crocodile skin handicrafts by the Department of Cooperatives, Industry and Trade of Merauke Regency. This study aims to determine the efforts to empower the Merauke Regency Industry and Trade Cooperatives Service towards crocodile skin craft business in Merauke Regency. This study uses a descriptive method with a qualitative approach. Determination of informants using purposive sampling technique. Data was collected through observation, direct interviews and documentation. The results showed that the efforts to empower the crocodile skin craft business by the Department of Cooperatives, Industry and Trade of Merauke Regency were not optimal. This refers to the empowerment that has been carried out by the Department of Cooperatives, Industry and Trade of Merauke Regency which is generally still oriented to the routine work of the government. Such conditions ultimately hampered the process of empowering crocodile skin crafts on Bumi animha Merauke. The researcher recommends the Department of Cooperatives, Industry and Trade of Merauke Regency to carry out intensive socialization of the use of galze and coloring techniques as well as the use of information, communication and technology to distribute crocodile skins, synergize with craftsmen to strengthen business independence and for crocodile skin crafts it is better to start actualizing themselves in improve the ability to find and take advantage of opportunities so that the sale of crocodile skin products is more easily accessible to the market.


Introduction
Use As a developing country, Indonesia has very high social dynamics, including social inequality, population mentality, unemployment rate, poor human development index, high poverty rate, high unemployment and social problems. Variety. In this regard, a synergy between the community and the government is needed to build a good and comprehensive country. Of course, the expected synergy goal between the government and its people is to be able to improve the standard of living of the Indonesian people for the better and be able to compete with other countries to improve the nation's standard of living. Development is an effort to increase human ability to influence their future. In the era of globalization, the mainstay sector is the business sector, and this sector can be used as a benchmark for the success of development carried out by a government [1]. Economic growth is strongly influenced by the use of human resources, if the use of human resources is not optimal, then economic growth as an object of development will naturally fail [2] [3][4]. The natural consequence of this condition is that development in a country can be hampered because human resources play an important role in development.
* Corresponding author: beatus@unmus.ac.id As a country, Indonesia has a very large population with a very high level of pluralism with the potential for horizontal collisions. However, with such a large population, Indonesia is expected to be able to balance development in various sectors to support the country's economic growth. However, Indonesia also faces big challenges, one of which concerns the unemployment rate. According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of unemployed in Indonesia reaches 4 million people [5]. This proves that the Indonesian government still has a lot of homework to do to support the development process for the benefit of the people. To overcome the problem of numbers, the Indonesian government needs to take advantage of an industry that is currently growing quite well in its territory. One of the industries that can be utilized by the government is the creative industry. One of the most common forms of creative industry is micro, small and medium enterprises as the basis for people's economic development.
Based on history, the small and medium enterprises have proven effective in surviving and restoring economic conditions and were able to continue to grow despite the economic crisis that hit Indonesia in the 1997-1998 period. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises are mandated by the Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. Indonesia in 1945, was realized through national economic development based on economic democracy. As regulated in Law Number 3 of  2014 concerning Industry and Law Number 20 of 2008  concerning Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises,  where the small and medium enterprises are carried out  comprehensively, optimally sustainably and receive  guarantees of business security and equity. Small business can be divided into several groups including [6]: 1. Subsistence activities are small and medium enterprises that are used as job opportunities to earn a living, which are commonly referred to as informal factors. Examples of such business activities are street vendors; 2. Micro Enterprises, are small and medium enterprises that are crafters but not yet entrepreneurial; 3. Dynamic Small Enterprises, are small and medium enterprises with entrepreneurial spirit and able to accept subcontract and export work; 4. Fast Moving Enterprise, is a small and medium-sized business that already has an entrepreneurial spirit and will transform into a large company.
Micro, small and medium enterprises are one of the business fields that can develop in the small and medium enterprises economy and consistently become a good forum for the creation of productive employment opportunities. Small and medium enterprises are laborintensive businesses that do not require special requirements. However, the development of small and medium enterprises in Indonesia still faces various problems that result in weak competitiveness against imported products of large industrial companies. The main problems faced by small and medium enterprises include limited infrastructure and government access to licensing and bureaucracy, as well as high illegal fees from bureaucrats.
Despite all the existing problems, the large potential of small and medium enterprises is actually hampered. Although small and medium enterprises can survive the global crisis, in reality the problem is getting worse. The problems of micro, small and medium enterprises that are difficult to develop include management incompetence, weak marketing capabilities, lack of experience and weak human resources to deal with problems of micro, small and medium enterprises.
To be able to face all the challenges faced by small and medium enterprises, the community is very dependent on government steps to strengthen the sector so that it can be independent and competitive with other types of businesses. The term empowerment is increasingly associated with development and poverty alleviation, the engine that drives the Indonesian economy. This empowerment develops from the reality of helpless individuals or communities, or weak parties who are powerless or have weaknesses in aspects of knowledge, experience, attitudes, skills, business capital, enthusiasm, hard work, and perseverance. Weaknesses in various aspects that the authors have mentioned previously lead to dependence, powerlessness and poverty. Empowerment is the process of giving power to the weak and taking power from those who are too powerful to have a balance.
Empowerment of small and medium enterprises in the midst of globalization and intense competition has forced small and medium enterprises to face global challenges such as increasing product and service innovation, developing human resources and technology, and expanding marketing coverage. This must be done in order to increase the selling value of small and medium enterprises themselves, especially in order to be able to compete with foreign products which are increasingly flooding industrial and manufacturing centers in Indonesia, considering that small and medium enterprises are an economic sector that is able to absorb the largest workforce in Indonesia [7] [8]. Thus, the urgency of small and medium enterprises to face global challenges is very high in order to survive in the midst of increasingly fierce business competition.
Based on these problems, small and medium enterprises and their problems also arise in Merauke Regency, South Papua Province, in this study. The small and medium enterprises that are currently developing include handicrafts, various types of food and beverages. Coupled with the results of agricultural production, plantations and mining. Based on data from the Merauke Regency Cooperatives and small and medium enterprises Service, the number of small and medium enterprises in 2022 is 34,781,867 units [5]. The majority of small and medium enterprises are engaged in trade, around 47.37%. In terms of income, small and medium enterprises contribute about 8% to the economy of Papua Province [9].

Research Methods
The research is using qualitative research which analyze by descriptive method. The qualitative research purpose to comprehend meaning of the social phenomenon where the research must play role as the subject which it has been researched in order to achieve the impeccable level of comprehension of the social phenomenon [10]. This research focus is on the empowering of the crocodile's leather craftsman where the data which has collected will analyze descriptively by using method of data aggregation through interview. The interview is a method that has been used to seek the primary data and would like to comprehend deeper of a phenomenon [11]. Now, the interview type that used is a Focus Group Discussion. The Focus Group Discussion is consist of few questions to facilitate discussion and ignite idea from the small group of people [11].

Research Subject
In this research, the subject is all of the crocodile's leather craftsman in small community in Merauke. The amount of the source person that has been set are 10 people. Those amounts are the sample of the crocodile's leather craftsman.

Data Analysis Technique
The data analysis technique that has been used is the Miles dan Huberman model that has quoted in Sarosa [12], which has started from the data aggregation stage; the data compress; data display; until to conclusion stage. After the data has collected through Focus Group Discussion interview, then the data is elected; is focused to the discussion of the empowering the crocodile's leather craftsman. Afterwards, the data is analysed inductively which the conclusion is appear from the data to verify the theory. As for the next stages is the conclusion that aims to respond the question of empowering of the crocodile's leather craftsman.

Efforts to Strengthen the Merauke Regency
Cooperative, Industry and Trade Office.
Empowerment effort that carried out by the Department of Cooperative, Industry and Trade Merauke Regency basically have the aim of being able to empower and develop small and medium enterprises for crocodile's leather products in Merauke Regency in order to maintain their existence in the midst of the onslaught of synthetic-based products that are processed by modern companies. In addition, the empowerment efforts carried out by the Department of Cooperatives, Industry and Trade of Merauke Regency are also a form of protection from the State as a protector for its people. So, the empowerment efforts carried out by the Merauke Regency Government through the Department of Cooperative, Industry and Trade Office so far have been a natural thing and are indeed required by the constitution.
Refers to the research result that has been collected in previous sub bab, then it comprehends the effort of Departement of Cooperatives, Industry and Trades in Merauke Regency is not remain optimum. The reason of such condition is because of the complex various dynamics to fix rapidly. Then, the appropriate stages by using better treatment are needed to achive the suitable result as the beginning purpose of the empowering.
The efforts that has been done by Departement of Cooperatives, Industry and Trades in Merauke Regency continously are formal and informal socializations. In those socialization efforts, the government claimed that there were indications through positively. This has admitted by Departement of Cooperatives, Industry and Trades that there is such alteration of societie's mindset where at this moment the crocodile's leather handicraft has found back their spirit that lost a few moments before. The spirit appears after socialization that has been done about the importance of maintaining cultural heritage formthe ancestors.
The description above is an implication from another effort from Merauke Regency Government until this moment still remains in making Merauke Regency as the center of crocodile's leather handicraft. Not only that, but also this regency must be given such hope in becoming as one of tourist destination culture that still being marketing by Merauke Regency Government in order the local or international tourists available to come at Merauke Regency watching directly the making process of crocodile's leather. As for it, the seriousness is needed from another party that involved at the effort to finish it.
The government effort in becoming Merauke Regency as the tourist destination culture and the center of crocodile's leather handicraft Papua Province is absolutely needs a branding terms which actracctive the market in order visiting Merauke Regency in looking for the process of making the crocodile's leather without buying its product. The awkwardness narration of the previous sentence is the representation from the sale value of crocodile's leather in Merauke Regency that still remain half-finished, so it is directly proportional with the deficient of sale value. As the result that has been discuss in previously, in another city produce crocodile's leather which has goood aesthetics, so the market is more attractive with theses crocodile's leather products [13] [14]. Based on such conditions, it is a must for the crocodile craftmans Merauke Regency start doing innovation of crocodile's leather product which has the different making technique from previous. This is absolutely increasing the sale value of the crocodile's leather product until make the existence of Merauke Regency as the producer of crocodile's leather in good quality that tested and lasted long time well known by the socuety.

Factors that Supported and Obstruct the Empowering by Departement of Cooperatives, Industry and Trades in Merauke Regency
Refers to the result that has been achieved from the location and source person that fulfill the criteria, so it comprehends fews factors that supported and obstruct the effort of empowering by Departement of Cooperatives, Industry and Trades in Merauke Regency.to the crocodile's leather craftmans in Merauke Regency. There are some supported and obstruct factors are the logic consecuences on the effectuation of an occasion. It same as with another terms, the empowering process have factors that supported the process as a temporary protagonist meanwhile for the obstruct factor of empowering process by Departement of Cooperatives, Industry and Trades Merauke Regency to the crocodile's leather craftmans could be stated as an antagonist.
Few supported factors in empowering effort by Departement of Cooperatives, Industry and Trades Merauke Regency to the crocodile's leather craftmans in Merauke Regency are, knowledge of making technique method with different from another that has been growth inside of the haert of crocodile's leather craftmans as long as the intensity of socialization continously pushing the small and medium enterprises sector of crocodile's leather in Merauke Regency in order to make the crocodile's leather until the finishing touch to have the sale value and competitive with the same productthat coming from other area. Next, another factor that supported the empowering effort by Departement of Cooperatives, Industry and Trades Merauke Regency to the crocodile's leather craftmans in Merauke Regency is the effort of the cratfmans of releasing their selves from the dependence of parties that has contribution on the production activity until the sale of the crocodile's leather to the consumen.
Besides the supporting factor, there are obstruct factor the effort of empowering that has done by Departement of Cooperatives, Industry and Trades Merauke Regency to the small and medium enterprises sector in Regency Merauke. The obstruct empowering factor is one of them is utilize the chance od its empowering in marketing by using information and communication technology that make easier human activity. The tools is needed at this time to access ecommerce can be said not the tertier needs is difficult to gain with expensive price, besides has been attached in societie's order in everywhere, because it has been widely used by children until the elderly people.
The next obstruct factor is the knowledge level of crocodile's leather craftmans which most of them only graduated from Elementary School or even never educated before, with such terms, the communication that related between Departement of Cooperatives, Industry and Trades in Merauke Regency with the crocodile's leather craftmans in Merauke Regency is a little bit disconnected. This is making few people who educated and have knowledge more than the crocodile's leather craftmans are exploiting the condition to show off and monopolize the activity of crocodile's leather craftmans Merauke Regency. In such terms absolutely allowed to dissolve because can interrupt the development of crocodile's leather craftmans efforts which basically faced various of difficult terms.

Conclusions
Based on the result, the conclusion has obtained from this research is the empowering of micro business of crocodile's leather by Departement of Cooperatives, Industry and Trades in Merauke Regency is not still remain optimum. This is referring to the empowering efforts of Departement of Cooperatives, Industry and Trades in Merauke Regency which still general and tends to the government work routine oriented. The terms eventually obstruct the empowering process of the crocodile's leather handicratf in Merauke Regency, which are: First, based on the knowledge aspect, crocodile's leather handicratf who are the business sector at Merauke Regency has unkown definitely of their knowledge level about the making tehcnique of crocodile's leather that can encourage the sale value of the crocodile's leather for the concumen beacues remain at this moment, the products are still raw. In this aspect also needed of knowledge of the using of technology infromation and communication is not optimum although the utilization of technology has widely open in all modern society because it makes easier. Second, based on the autonomy aspect, the crocodile's leather craftmans are available to get out from independence of another people, although has not remain full because they remain in deveoping with aids by the government and the local cooperation. In this term, the craftmans still cannot adapted the imigration option from traditional to make an innovation of the crocodile's leather in order has the sale value and compete with the same product to gain the empowering. Third, based on the self-actualization that refers to the result, the role of the crocodile's leather craftmans has not capable to actualization theirselves with capability to see and utilize the chance in production process until marketing the crocodile's leather craftmans product. It can be seen from no effort to give any idea, though and opinion to the government authority about what the crocodile's leather craftmans needs to facilitate them back to empowering poer same as in the past.