Recent discoveries of major offshore gas deposits will be used both to supply Azerbaijan's energy needs and to generate needed revenue from exports to Turkey and Eastern Europe. Outside of oil exploration and production, the strongest prospects in the economy are providing supplies and services to support the oil and gas industries. Baku's expatriate community and a relatively small moneyed class of Azerbaijani's are also creating demand for recreation, entertainment, and retail services in the capital. The national infrastructure, built in the Soviet period, is in poor condition. Since independence there has been almost no public investment or maintenance of public infrastructure.
Roads are inadequate and deteriorating.
The electrical generation and distribution system is in poor condition. Eighty percent of arable land was irrigated, but the irrigation system is virtually inoperable. Baku experiences shortages of gas, water, and electricity. Elsewhere in the country, the electricity supply is poor, and gas supply is almost non-existent. Public utilities are financially crippled by their inability to collect payment from their customers.