ROAD line-marking subcontractor Perry Theophanous doesn't know whom to believe.
He is owed $67,000 for work on the widening of the northern approach to Alfords Point Bridge and is receiving different explanations as why he hasn't been paid.
Principal contractor Reed Constructions, which announced last month it was experiencing financial difficulties, told him it was owed money by Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and other state government departments.
The state government, however, has insisted it has paid all amounts owed to Reed, and has even made advance payments to help the company meet subcontractor commitments.
"It's very frustrating," said Mr Theophanous, of Illawong. "We were working every night, 13 hours at a time, to get the project finished in October last year, and we still haven't been paid.
Mr Theophanous said he had met with Reed's chief executive Garth Graydon.
"He told me Reed was owed a substantial amount of money by RMS and other state government departments.
"Mr Graydon said they were having a cash flow problem and the state government wasn't helping. He said that he wouldn't have met me if that wasn't the case."
Mr Theophanous said Mr Graydon had repeated the claim in a phone conversation.
However, when Mr Theophanous referred the comments to the RMS, he was sent a copy of a media release by Finance Minister Greg Pearce which said his advice was that all state government payments owed to Reed had been paid ahead of contract terms.
A Reed Constructions spokeswoman said yesterday they were still in negotiations with the government and could not comment.
Who else might be owed money for this project?
