By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) will lift its suspension on all Junkanoo activities beginning today, a move that comes as the registration deadline for government seed funding approaches.

The confirmation came after JCNP deputy chairman Nathan Taylor told The Tribune yesterday that practices had already resumed to allow groups to prepare for the upcoming parades.

He said other parading activities would remain on hold pending discussions on the government’s proposed Junkanoo Authority Bill.

Hours later, a notice posted on the JCNP’s social media pages announced that all parading activities will resume on September 8.

The JCNP, which has managed New Providence’s major Junkanoo parades since 2004, in July suspended all Junkanoo-related activities, including Emancipation Day events, practices, rush-outs, and side parades in protest of the new Junkanoo bill.

The JCNP views the proposed authority as an attempt to centralise control and roll back the organisation’s self-governance.

However, government officials have pushed back against this narrative, maintaining that the bill aims to formalise Junkanoo as a national institution capable of generating economic benefits, with an independent authority taking over the government’s role in managing the parades.

The parties are scheduled to meet this week to discuss the JCNP’s recommendations, following a postponement of the meeting last week.

Yesterday, Mr Taylor declined to reveal details of those recommendations.

However, the standoff comes as Junkanoo groups prepare for the Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades.

In a statement over the weekend, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture advised groups to complete registration for seed funding by Friday, September 12.

Seed funding distribution is set to begin on September 19 in New Providence, with disbursements to follow in the Family Islands on staggered dates through October.

Yesterday, Mr Taylor confirmed that the JCNP’s suspension does not extend to seed funding.

He added: “That is the government’s money. We ain’t getting into that. That is between the groups and the government.”

He also revealed that both factions of the Valley Boys have registered with the JCNP and will compete in the upcoming parades.

Last year, The Way Forward Valley Boys, led by Trevor Davis, was relegated to the non-competitive “fun group” category — allowed to perform but ineligible for prizes — after failing to properly register with the JCNP.